11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

There are 2 people that I've come to really respect their knowledge of skin care and makeup: Lisa Eldridge and Caroline Hirons. Lisa is exceptional at knowing how to make makeup wear and look better, while Caroline is equally brilliant at understanding the skin and what ingredients it does and does not need--and she is blunt, straight-forward, and speaks from knowledge, not theory.

To follow are Caroline's "Things I Say Over and Over Again". I know a lot of my questions have been answered by her blog--especially her "Cheat Sheets", so I'd thought I'd share with y'all in case it helps even just 1 person. Enjoy!

1. You are obsessed with your pores. They do not open and close like doors. You say they are HUGE - then send me a picture and I can SEE NOTHING. We CANNOT see your pores. The only person that can see your pores close-up is your opthamologist - or your boyfriend. Your opthamologist is looking at your eyes. Not your pores. And if your boyfriend is thisclosetoyou and notices your pores? He's gay. Or not attracted to you. Or at best, rude. Rethink the entire relationship.

2. You overuse the Clarisonic. A lot of you. A LOT of you. You can use it - you're just not meant to use it every time you brush your frigging teeth. Step away from the trendy facial tool and wash your bloody face properly.

3. Nothing good ever came from scrubbing your face with a peach kernel. There's a reason they are 99p. Step away.

4. In general, foaming is what you want Fairy Liquid to do. Not your cleanser. And to the brands: I am unapologetic.

5. Freckles are cute. At any age. You will do damage to your skin trying to get rid of them. Leave them alone. Embrace them.

6. Stress is the key to most flare-ups, whether they are acne, rosacea or eczema. Practise relaxation. And not in some hippy-dippy way. Seriously. See the bigger picture. Chill.

7. Inflammation is the root of all evil. Eat less sugar, take more fish oil supplements. A lot of fish supplements.

8. Natural doesn't mean you won't react. Essential oils are one of the biggest triggers for skin.

9. 'Dupes' belong in makeup and nail varnish. There is no 'dupe' for a high quality, years-of-research-behind-it skincare product.

10. Spend your money on supplements, skincare, foundation and concealer and scrimp on the rest. You will look fabulous.

11. If you would spend more on shoes, handbags, lipstick, jeans or fashion in general than you would on high quality skincare - you will be a sixty year old woman (and man) with a vintage wardrobe and a face like an alligator.

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

Thank you for this post. These 11 things are all good to read, but what was most helpful to me was to learn about the existance of Lisa Eldridge and Caroline Hirons. I looked them up, and they are such a wealth of information!

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

Love number one !!! I swear i have the biggest pores but no one else seems to notice them. I have had facials and mocrodermabrasion and scrubs and all of the estheticians tell me that my pores are fine and to just leave them alone. Why are we so obsessed with them. I'm always looking for a way to make them smaller....... such is life I suppose, I'm stil trying to get past this on my own... :0)

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

#3 and #7--I've held solid on both of these since late Winter. Since then, my skin has cleared and is less red, and I have only had to use concealer on my undereye area (thanks to fabulous genes that gave me these dark circles!). I think my fish oils are making my nails grown insanely fast, too. Happy girl here!

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I take a DHA pill as part of my prenatal regimen...it burst open when I was taking it out of the blister pack (free samples from my OB) and I decided to take it anyway, in the bedroom, with my water in the kitchen. OMG NEVER AGAIN. I might as well have eaten a dead fish. EWW!!

But I think fish oils are something I will continue with even when I don't need DHA for baby.

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

Hahah oh my god, these were hilarious! Thanks for posting them. (:

By the way, does anyone know if salmon fish oil cause breakouts or has anyone heard that anywhere? I went to a herbalist/acupuncturist and she swears that salmon causes breakouts like no other. I'm not sold on the idea, but I pretty much break out from anything (but yes, especially stress), so I wonder if anyone else has heard that before.

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

@mxcx I broke out when I tried fish oil (this was over 6 years ago). I also break out from the vegetarian algae form of DHA. My skin is totally fine when I ingest Flaxseed oil though. I put it in my smoothies and in my salads. Good source of omega 3 fatty acids.

Also, there is an edible weed called purslane that is amazing. It has very high omega 3's as well. I took a foraging class one weekend and a botanist showed us (my husband & I) edible plants and how to identify them. If there is anything like this in your area I highly suggest it. There are so many healthy "weeds" in my backyard, I prob look crazy to my neighbors (picking stuff and foraging around). But it's very important to have a professional teach you how to identify plants and several other resources to use while gathering (i use books).

I make Purslane pesto with basil, walnuts, olive oil & flax oil, purslane, lemon juice, sea salt, and nutritional yeast. I freeze a ton of it and eat it throughout the year (it is so good smeared on bread or mixed with warm pasta). Sorry this post is so long. I just got excited.

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

Oh no don't be sorry, thank you so much for taking the time to tell me! I've been eating cold milled flaxseed along with my smoothies for added fiber, but I didn't know that they were also high in omega-3's, which is fantastic.

I'll have to look into purslane as well. I know about picking just normal wild dandelion greens for salads, but haven't ever heard of purslane before. That pesto sounds absolutely amazing, and I'm so happy that it's made with ingredients I can eat (I'm sensitive to dairy products too so no cheeses sigh).

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

I don't just take generic "fish oil". I take Omega 3-6-9s because they have multiple things in it, along with the fish oil. Truly, my skin, hair, and nails are better. I also have MS, and my last MRI revealed a possible shrinkage of the lesions on my brain. (MS is a disease of inflammation caused by our own immune system.) So, there's just TONS of research out there to prove they help on so many levels!

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

About #3: I haven't used a scrub or Clarisonic device on my face in months, and my skin has lost all its redness. I now no longer use as heavy of coveraged foundation, and I only use concealer on my dark circles. Wise advice taken!!

Re: 11 (Not "10") Things We All Need to Know...

I love #'s 10 and 11, and 11 made me smile. =) I used to allow a teeny-tiny budget for skincare, and spent more on clothes, eating out, etc. Really bad! Now that I've turned 25 and am more concerned with preventative aging and the overall health of my skin, I don't put a price on it anymore. I wish I had started earlier.

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What's really weird is that even though I'm 21 I still have people asking me if I'm in my mid to late teens. I say weird because at the most my skincare consists of washing my face in the shower and removing my makeup before I go to bed 0_0